Method and apparatus for recovery and recycling of heat from hot gases

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for the recovery and recycling of heat from hot exhaust gases, specifically from exhaust gases in metallurgical processes and from warm gases having an exiting temperature of below about 800° C. According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, warm or hot exhaust fuel gases transfer their retained heat to the lower portions of vertically positioned, capillary-type action heat transfer pipes. Cold air is then directed past the upper portion of the heat pipes, thereby transferring the heat of the heat transfer pipes to the cold air. The now heated air gains further heat, prior to introduction into the blast furnace, by passing over, previously heated refractory gratings.

This is a division of application Ser. No. 200,002, filed Oct. 23, 1980,now U.S. Pat. No. 4,434,004, granted Feb. 28, 1984.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The method and apparatus disclosed in the prior art are aimed atdecreasing energy consumption by the recapture of heretofore unused heatfrom metallurgical processing gases and exploitation of the retainedheat to preheat the fuel gases used in combustion processes, resultingin the conservation of energy and fuel. In the metallurgical field,efforts to conserve heat energy have been principally directed towarddecreasing amounts necessary for processing using coke gas, natural gas,blast-furnace gas, heating oil, etc. Another purpose sought to beaccomplished by such conservation methods is the utilization of the heatof exhaust gases of metallurgical processes to support the production ofhigh temperatures for the extraction of metal. More specifically, in theproduction of crude iron and steel it is possible and highly desirableto increase the economy of the metallurgical processes by using higherinput temperatures of the processing gases.

The energy expenditure in ore reduction is considerable; the blastfurnace itself uses about 66% of the total energy of a metallurgicalplant for the production of crude iron. Approximately 3000 Nm³ of airare required for the burning of one ton of coke. In order to conservefuel, in this example, coke, the present invention contemplates that theair is heated in air heaters to a maximum temperature of about 1300° C.Processing gas escaping from the metallurgical furnace is recaptured andutilized, with the addition of coke gas, for heating the air. The cokegas is burned in the air heater and subsequently flows throughrefractory stones, in the shape of gratings. Thus, the interior of theair heater is heated to a maximum temperature of about 1550° C. Theexhaust gas flowing out of the air heater still, however, possesses atemperature of approximately 250° C. The exhaust gas of the prior art,still having a considerable heat content, nevertheless leaves theinstallation through a chimney and flows into the open atmosphere. Theprior art teaches that, subsequent to the heating period of the grates,the gas burner of the air heater is switched off, and cold air, producedin blast machines under high pressure, is blown through the hot masonrygrating of the air heater. The hot stones release a large portion oftheir heat into the air which is then blown into the blast furnacethrough the conventional hot air ring line and blast tuyeres. In theconventional set-up, at least two air heaters are at work at any giventime, alternating between heating period and air period to therebyimprove the blast capacity.

It is known (Iron and Steel Engineer, August 1979, page 14), thatconservation in heat energy is achieved through the use of improved heatexchangers. To this end, it has been proposed to use rotating plate/pipeheat exchangers whose thermo-heat transfer efficiency is presumed higherthan that of pipe recuperators. Such heat exchangers have already beenemployed for pre-heating the air for the air heaters of blast furnaces.The savings in heat, through the employment of heated air instead of thecustomary cold air in the air heater, amounts to about 25,000 kcal/tcrude iron. With a heating value of the coke furnace gas ofapproximately 4000 kcal/Nm3, this conservation in heat leads toapproximate savings of 6 Nm³ of coke gas per ton of crude iron. Whilethis results in heat energy savings, it is still relatively negligibleand accordingly needs to be improved. A further disadvantage of priorart methods and apparatus which use the rotating plate/pipe heatexchangers is that they are exposed to a great deal of erosion at theirrotating parts and, therefore, must be periodically replaced when theybecome worn.

The object of the present invention is to increase the thermal economyand efficiency in the recovery and recycling of heat from hot gases,particularly from metallurgical exhaust gases. A method and apparatus toattain the desired economy and efficiency is an object of the inventiondisclosed herein. Thermal economy and efficiency is achieved by thepresent invention by conducting the exhaust gases through gaps locatedbetween a plurality of heat pipes which are arranged so as to beseparated by spaces and closed on both ends. Subsequently, the exhaustgases are released into the open and fresh cold air, passing by the justheated heat pipes receive the heat energy stored in the heat pipes.Alternatively, cold fuel gases introduced into the gaps, heated to belowthe range of ultimately desired gas-heat temperature, are fed into acombustion and/or metallurgical process. Preheating of the combustionair, necessarily introduced into the combustion process, results insignificant economic advantages for the process. These advantages havean effect, for example, inside the blast furnace and the hot-blastcupola furnace and bring about, inter alia, considerable savings infuel, specifically of metallurgical coke. The method, according to thepresent invention, works advantageously with a heat transfer efficiencyof greater than 75%.

Additionally, it is especially advantageous to apply the method,according to the present invention, to the blast furnace air-heatermethod, in which at certain times, at periodic predetermined intervals,air, preheated through the heat pipes, is conducted into the combustionchamber, and burned gases, which initially heat the masonry grating, aresubsequently conducted between the heat pipes. The preheating of the airfor the air heater, i.e., the introduction of hot air instead of coldair into the air heater during the heating-up period, has heretoforebeen neglected because the technical relationships were not appreciated.Experts were dissuaded in particular from utilizing the exhaust heat ofthe air heater for the preheating of the combustion air because thetemperature level of the air-heater exhaust gases were considered toolow. Now, however, the present invention uses the retained heat of theexhaust gases, albeit low, for heating fresh cold air. Furthermore, therelative low efficiency of the heat transfer of gas recuperatorsprevented the exploitation of exhaust-gas heat on economical grounds.

It is also advantageous to apply the method of the present invention tothe regeneration of zeolitic molecular screening substances, such thatthe air conducted between the heat pipes is heated to a temperature ofbetween about 200° to 300° C. and subsequently conducted through themolecular screening bed to absorb nitrogen, carbon dioxide and watervapors.

Yet another advantageous feature for practicing the described method isproposed. To this end, it is provided that the heat pipes, arranged inthe form of rows or gratings, are combined into a heat exchanger andsurrounded with a heat-exchanger casing, whereby the longitudinal axesof the heat pipes extend at right angles to the direction of the flow ofcold air or, if applicable, to the direction of the flow of the fuel gasor exhaust gas. Additionally, each longitudinal section of the heatpipes can be surrounded by separate chambers stacked one upon the other.If the latter construction is used then the space-saving arrangement ofthe heated portions of the pipes with respect to the cooled portions ofthe heat pipes is especially advantageous. It is an advantage of thepresent apparatus that the heat-releasing or, if applicable,heat-receiving gas flows in a horizontal direction. This results incorresponding flow cross sections without the necessity for a largere-routing section.

Still a further advantage of the present inventive apparatus lies in thearrangement of the heat pipes in the shape of rows or, if applicable,gratings; i.e., they are connected to one another through rod orlamella-shaped supports. In this case, the supports, made from metals ornon-metals, can serve also as heat carriers.

The thermodynamic efficiency of the apparatus, according to the presentinvention, may also be increased by insulating the separate chambers ofthe heat exchanger with thermal insulation materials.

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are illustrated in thedrawings and described in more detail below. The inventive method,according to the present invention, is also described below and bestunderstood with the aid of the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a vertical cross sectional view of a blast furnace air-heaterinstallation, showing the present invention, in the preferredembodiment; and

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view taken through a vessel and heatexchanger for molecular screening substances in which air is enrichedwith oxygen by removal of certain air entrained particles. This is asecond embodiment of applying the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the illustrated blast furnace air-heater installation according toFIG. 1, a gas mixture comprised of blast furnace gas and coke furnacegas, enters the combustion chamber 1 during the heating-up phase, andthereby arrives in the refractory gratings 2. The gas mixture isintroduced into the combustion chamber 1 by passing through the entranceopening 3 and combines with the preheated combustion air flowing inthrough a separate entrance opening 4. At that point, the gases areignited and burned. The resulting hot fuel gases rise in the combustionchamber 1, flow into the dome 9, are redirected as illustrated by arrow9a, and flow downwardly through the refractory gratings 2, whereupon aportion of the associated heat is transferred to gratings 2. Thus, thegratings 2 heat up to the desired temperature of approximately 1550° C.After transferring a large portion of their heat content, the fuel gasesescape through the exhaust discharge conduit 5, into the exhaust flue 7,and from there ordinarily would flow into the open, with the remainingheat content, through the chimney intake 8 where the heat wouldobviously be lost. At this point, the exhaust gases, in the area of theexhaust discharge conduit 5 are at a temperature of approximately 250°C.

The present invention, however, provides heat pipes 10, 11, 12, arrangedin a formation of rows or, if desired, as gratings which are conductedinto the exhaust flue 7 and form the heat exchange unit 13. Eachindividual heat pipe 10, 11, 12 is closed, i.e., the pipe ends areprovided with tightly fitted covers. In addition, each pipe has acapillary-like structure at its inner cylindrical wall. Furthermore, theheat pipes are partially filled with a relatively volatile substancehaving a phase changing temperature range of between about 100° to 800°C. or, if desired, at even higher temperatures. The volatile substancescould be, for example, liquid metals or organic substances at normaltemperatures. These substances are especially suitable for theconducting of heat by evaporation and condensation. Freons or methanesare, for example, suitable organic evaporating substances which can becontained in the pipes.

Heat pipes 10, 11, 12 may be charged on all sides with a hot or, ifapplicable, warm air or gas flow, in the preferred embodiment, exhaustgases, such that the volatile substances located in the pipes interiorevaporates thereby causing the heat pipes to act as heat storagedevices. If, subsequently, there is a shift to a cold air or gas flow,in the opposite or same direction, the heat pipes would then transfertheir stored heat to the now passing cold air or gas flow, at which timethe gaseous or, if applicable, vaporous substance in the interior of thepipes would recondense to the appropriate liquid or to a compositioncorresponding to the volatile substance at low temperature.

The upper longitudinal sections 10a, 11a, 12a of the heat pipes are bestseen in FIG. 1 as being located in the cold air canal 14, whichconstitutes a part of the heat-exchanger casing 13a. At the same time,the cold air canal 14 defines in its interior a separate chamber 15. Inthe same manner, the exhaust gas flue 7, in which the lower longitudinalsections 10b, 11b, 12b of the heat pipes are located, also forms aseparate chamber 16. The heat pipes 10, 11, 12 or a group or severalgroups or a plurality of such heat pipes are mounted in the wall 13b ofthe heat exchanger casing 13a, or alternatively, they are connected toeach other by means of rod, pipe or lamella-shaped supports 17. Toenhance the heat storing and transferring effect of the heat exchanger,the lamella-shaped supports can be constructed of heat conductingmaterial, e.g., a highly conductive metal. Effects of the externaltemperature on the separate chambers 15 and 16 are to be avoided. Thewall 13b is, therefore, insulated with thermal insulation materials 18as are the other exterior walls, as desired.

In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, the longitudinal axes 19 of theheat pipes 10, 11, 12 lie in a single vertical plane and are parallel toone another. Other configurations are possible for the heat pipes solong as the counter-current principle of heat transfer is retained.Furthermore, the heat pipes 10, 11, 12, together with the supports 17,form an independent, separately insertable structure unit, which caneasily be removed and replaced by an overhead crane if and when cleaningis required because of dust particles settling on the lamellas,supports, pipes. etc.

During the heating-up period of the air heater, the heat pipes 10, 11,12 are heated up, as previously described, with the retained heat of thefuel gases. In the subsequent air blast period of the air heater, coldair is blown through the opening 20 of the air heater, heating up to atemperature of approximately 1300° C. by passing by the hot grating 2,and then flows through the exit opening 21 into the blast furnace (notillustrated). Instead of this cold air influx through the opening 20,with valve 22 open, preheated cold air, i.e., air heated by passing byheat exchanger 13 may now flow into the opening 20 in direction of arrow23, through the pipe line 24, so that the rise in temperature to thementioned 1550° C. of the air flowing out of exit opening 21 may occurwith, however, a corresponding decrease in the quantity of fuel gasrequired.

An additional quantity of fuel gas may also be saved during thepreheating of grating 2. This can be accomplished by preheating the fuelgas and feeding it through the pipe line 24a into the entrance opening 3instead of cold air in the direction of arrows 23, with valve 25 closedand valves 22, and 26 open. To this desired end, it is not necessarythat heat storage in the heat exchanger first occur in the heat pipes10, 11, 12 from the hot exhaust gases which flow through the exhaustflue 7. The heat need, therefore, not necessarily be drawn from the airheater but, rather, may be provided from a second air heater from otherareas of the smelting plant providing preheated air.

As best seen in FIG. 2, a heat exchanger 13 similar to the onepreviously described is also arranged for use with vessels 27a, 27b, 27cwhich contain molecular screening substances. The molecular screeningsubstances serve to enrich, with oxygen, the added cold air and todehumidify it. Air enriched with oxygen, which is also preheated anddehumidified, also serves to lower the energy requirements in the airheater and/or in the blast furnace. In addition, a more intensiveregeneration of the molecular screening substances, saturated withnitrogen and humidity, occurs in the molecular screening vessels 27a,27b, 27c because of adding preheated air or, if applicable, preheatedgases.

As described above with respect to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, andnow with reference to FIG. 2, a hot or warm gas (drawn possibly from ablast furnace air heater installation) flows through exhaust flue 7, andreleases a portion of its heat to the heat pipes 10, 11, 12 located inthe longitudinal sections 10b, 11b, 12b. The air or gas then leavesthrough the chimney intake 8 with a temperature only slightly above therequired temperature to produce the speed in the chimney for the exitingexhaust gas. Cold fresh air, possibly originating from a blast machine(not illustrated) enters the chamber 15 and is heated by the heat pipesin the longitudinal sections 10a, 11a, 12a and flows as warm air 23athrough the feed line 28 to the molecular screening vessels 27a, 27b,27c.

With valves 29 and 30 closed, and valve 31 open, warm air 23a flows intovessel 27b therein causing a regeneration of the molecular screeningsubstance 32, whereby desorbed exhaust gases 33 (nitrogen, carbondioxide, humidity) flow into the atmosphere, through open valve 34. Themolecular screening substance 32 of the vessel 27b is now ready toenrich the air with oxygen by the absorption of nitrogen, carbon dioxideand water vapor from the air. The air so enriched with oxygen is thenfed into other metallurgical processes.

The above described regenerating procedure for molecular screeningsubstance 32 in vessel 27b is also carried out, periodically andalternatingly in vessels 27a and 27c. Subsequent to the conclusion ofeach process phase, warm air 23a, or cold air (from a blast machine, notillustrated) is in counter current. This is done with valves 34 open,through the zeolitic molecular screening substances 32, which effectsthe oxygen enrichment. The air 23b, enriched with oxygen, acquired inthis manner, flows, with valve 35 open and valve 36 closed, through thepipe line 37 into the air-blast line, through the nozzles and into theblast furnace.

During the processing phases, i.e. "regeneration" in vessel 27b and"oxygen enrichment" (absorption period) in vessel 27a, the molecularscreening substances 32 located in vessel 27c, are cooling off. At thattime, cold fresh air flows from the blast machine, with valve 34 open,through the pipe line 38 and through vessel 27c. The gases flow as warmgas into the heat exchanger 13 (illustrated in FIG. 1) through pipe line37, at an exhaust air temperature of above 100° C. with valve 36 openand valve 35 closed. During this period, the zeolitic molecularscreening substances 32 of vessel 27c cools off. The exhaust air isconducted into the atmosphere at a correspondingly low temperature suchthat no additional heat may be extracted and removed.

According to the above described second exemplary embodiment of thepresent invention, the heat exchanger 13 serves alternatingly to controlthe molecular screening substances 32 and the reduction process in theblast furnace, as well as further metallurgical processes such as, forexample, steel production processes, preheating of reaction gases forthe steel production process in bottom-blown converters or, ifapplicable, nozzle-blown steel mill converters.

It should be clearly understood that the above described embodiments ofthe present invention are meant to be illustrative of the invention.Accordingly, reference should be made to the following appended claimsand equivalents thereof in determining the scope of the invention.

I claim:
 1. A method for regenerating the molecular screening materialsin a blast furnace metallurgical operation, comprising the steps of:(a)providing a blast furnace metallurgical operation; (b) directing thefully combusted exhaust gases from said blast furnace metallurgicaloperation to a heat exchanger means; (c) transferring a portion of theheat of said fully combusted exhaust gases to said heat exchanger means;(d) venting, to the atmosphere, said fully combusted exhaust gases; (e)conducting fresh, atmospheric air to and through said heat exchangermeans; (f) transferring to said fresh, atmospheric air, at least aportion of said heat previously transferred to said heat exchangermeans; (g) further conducting said now-heated fresh, atmospheric airaway from said heat exchanger means; and (h) passing said now-heatedfresh, atmospheric air to and through molecular screening materials tothereby regenerate said screening materials for further use in providingoxygen-enriched and dehumidified air to said blast furnace metallurgicaloperation.